The Houthi rebels in Yemen have carried out further drone attacks on ships in the Red Sea, according to US forces. The USA said it shot down drones.
An American warship shot down combat drones again in the Red Sea. According to the US Navy command center Centcom, the US destroyer USS Laboon, patrolling the southern Red Sea, destroyed four attack drones that had flown towards the US warship. There was no damage or injuries.
Again attacks on ships in the Red Sea
According to the US armed forces, the Houthi rebels in Yemen had previously carried out drone attacks on ships in the Red Sea. In one case, an Indian-flagged tanker was hit on Saturday, Centcom said. There were no injuries either.
Another attack drone fired from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen narrowly missed a Norwegian tanker.
The US military had previously reported shelling of the Liberian-flagged tanker “MV Chem Pluto” on Saturday. The ship was also hit by a drone in the Indian Ocean. The US Department of Defense later said it was an “attack drone launched by Iran”.
Since the war between Israel and the Islamist Palestinian organization Hamas began in early October, the Houthi militia has repeatedly attacked merchant ships. The Iranian-backed militia also fired drones and rockets at Israel on several occasions. It threatens to attack any ship heading to Israel unless more food and medicine is allowed to be transported to the Gaza Strip.
Shipping Protection Coalition
Earlier this week, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced the formation of a coalition to protect shipping in the Red Sea. The US-led coalition already includes Bahrain, France, Great Britain, Italy, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, the Seychelles and Spain. According to a spokesman for the Ministry of Defense, the federal government is also considering participating in the coalition.